Message of 11-7-07
Published: Tue, 10/30/07
- Life-long learning and formation in Christian spirituality.
Groups now open include the following:
A. Psychological Types and Spirituality
B. The Way of Christian Spirituality
C. Freedom from Codependency
D. Christian Spirituality Resources
E. Wonderfully Made (Christian Metaphysics)
F. Growing in Christ
G. Spiral Dynamics®
H. Discerning God's Will
I. Dark Night of the Soul
J. Silence, Solitude and Sabbath
K. Alpha Group -- includes all the above and all to come.
- see http://shalomplace.org/groups.html
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MESSAGE OF THE DAY
"For that which a person, however full of knowledge s/he may be,
cannot know (for the mind has limits, and turns to and fro upon
itself), God shows by grace, and makes the simple learned."
- Elizabeth of Schanau [12th C.], "Visions" -
(The Spirit teaches us things we can never learn from books. . .
for those who are attentive to this wisdom.)
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SCRIPTURE READINGS
http://www.nccbuscc.org/nab/
Rom 13:8-10; Ps 112:1b-2, 4-5, 9; Lk 14:25-33
R. ( 5a) Blessed the one who is gracious and lends to those in need.
Blessed the one who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
He dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
Lavishly he gives to the poor;
his generosity shall endure forever;
his horn shall be exalted in glory.
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Praying the Daily Gospels
- by Philip St. Romain:
- http://www.liguori.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=6614
- Luke 14: 25-33 (Pick up your cross)
The cross is an intensely powerful Christian symbol because it
describes so well the quality of love which God expects of us.
Christianity alone has been able to extract meaning from human
suffering, for our God has suffered with us. Those who decide to
follow Jesus can expect struggles and hardships, but perseverance
will bring deeper love and new life.
- What battle plan have you developed for your life? What
obstacles might frustrate these plans? Where does the cross enter?
- Pray for the grace to remain faithful to Jesus when
inconveniences confront you.
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MYSTICISM
- by Evelyn Underhill -
The Poverty of the mystics, then, is a mental rather than a
material state. Detachment of the will from all desire of
possessions is the inner reality, of which Franciscan poverty is a
sacrament to the world. It is the poor in spirit, not the poor in
substance, who are to be spiritually blessed. "Let all things be
forsaken of me," says Gerlac Petersen, "so that being poor I may be
able in great inward spaciousness, and without any hurt, to suffer
want of all those things which the mind of man can desire; out of
or excepting God Himself."
"The soul," says St. John of the Cross, "is not empty, so long as
the desire for sensible things remains. But the absence of this
desire for things produces emptiness and liberty of soul; even when
there is an abundance of possessions."
------ Part 2, Chapter 3
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MEDITATING ON SCRIPTURE (Method of St. Francis de Sales)
A. Settling in: call to mind God's presence; address oneself to God
in vocal prayer.
B. Reading the Scripture passage slowly, prayerfully.
C. Exercise of the will and intellect in considering the message:
what is this passage saying? what is it calling forth from me?
D. Conclusion: acts of thanksgiving, remorse and intercessions
awakened by the meditation.
E. Application: Immediate follow-through on resolutions made.
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